Plymouth board members debate movie studio zoning

Tuesday

Apr 29, 2008 at 12:01 AMApr 29, 2008 at 1:39 PM

Much of the discussion concerned helicopter access, hotel heights, permit granting and the size of the zoning area as the planning board opened its public hearing on a proposed zoning bylaw for the planned Plymouth Rock Studios project.

Tamara Race

Helicopter access, hotel heights, special-permit authority and defining the zoning area dominated the planning board’s first public hearing on the proposed Plymouth Rock Studios project.

Town meeting will be asked June 9 to approve a zoning change that would allow a movie/television production studio on a portion of 1,000 acres of town-owned land off Route 25.

The bylaw requires a new access ramp off Route 25 as a condition of the studio project.

“The nature of the use will encourage helicopters,” Rosenblum said. “To not deal with it is to pretend it won’t be necessary.”

But studio officials said noisy helicopters would likely disturb movie productions and that stars could land at Plymouth Airport and be picked up by car.

Rosenblum and planning board member Loring Tripp said helicopters would reduce car traffic, but planning board member Malcolm MacGregor said it is an inefficient means of transportation.

Town meeting member Ken Buechs said planning board members were sending mixed messages by expressing concerns about protecting neighbors from studio noise while arguing in favor of helicopter access.

Board members were also split on whether the zoning bylaw should cover the entire 1,000 acres or just the 300 to 400 acres needed for the studio project and whether town meeting (by two-thirds vote) rather than the planning board (with a four-member majority) should grant the special permit.

Rosenblum and town meeting member William Abbott said letting town meeting grant the permit would undermine the public appeal process.

Neighbors of the property and others can appeal a planning board special permit, but have no such recourse if town meeting grants the permit.

“It’s an end run around every public protection,” Abbott said. “It makes no sense to bypass the planning board special permit and push it through town meeting with a couple of movie stars.”

Rosenblum said the suggestion amounted to a town board conspiring with developers to undermine the appeal process.

But Tripp said he had faith in a two-thirds vote of town meeting and that the process would be more inclusive while avoiding one or two parties playing spoiler to the proposed development.

Planning board members also feared a 75-foot height allowance for a hotel would create a precedent for other hotel projects in town.

Most favored setting a 55-foot limit and allowing developers to request waivers if they need to exceed the limit.

The public hearing was continued to 6 p.m. Wednesday at town hall. Planning Director Lee Hartmann said he would look for a bigger room to accommodate the expected crowd.

Copies of the proposed zoning bylaw are available from the planning department at town hall.